Tape dispenser



H. A. POWERS TAPE DISPENSER Filed Jan. 14, 1960 7l l i.

United States Patent O 3,098,72 TAPE DHSPENSER Howard A. Powers, Medlield, Mass., assigner to W. H.

Brady Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation `of Wiscousin Filed Jau. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 2,456 2 Claims. (Ci. 156-577) This invention relates to a tape dispenser, and more particularly to such a dispenser in which application of tape to a surface in a controlled manner is greatly facilitated,

A primary object of the invention is to provide a tape dispenser capable of laying down tape, as in making upl cause later creeping from the desired pattern.

Further objects are to provide such a dispenser in which visibility of the .point of application can be maximized; which may be held either like a pencil or otherwise; which may be used to follow a straight-edge to lay down a straight stretch of tape; which permits deposit of a continuous length of tape of very great length; which provides for pressing the tape onto the surface to which it is being applied `for lm attachment thereto; which facilitates guided movement of the tape over the pressing means; which may be loaded easily; in which tape may be easily cut near the point of latest application; in which the tape is secured against snapping back past the pressing means when so cut; in which movement of said tape from a storage roll to the said pressing means is Afacilitated to maximize freedom of operation; and which is adapted to accept rolls of tape of varying width.

Features essential to all embodiments of the invention are a handle mounted for freely rotatable movement relative to the said pressing means, and the positioning of the lowest extremity of said pressing means in a location offset from the axis of rotation of the handle, so that the pressing means can be directed in varying directions by slightly changing directions of pressure without changing the position of the handle or of the paper.

Another feature of preferre-d embodiments of the invention is a generally barrel-shaped or crowned roller serving as said pressing means.

A `further feature of preferred embodiments of the invention is a spring-loaded cutter to sever the tape near the point of application.

A further feature of preferred embodiments of the invention is a curvingly grooved handle to provide comfortable and firm grasp thereof.

Another feature of preferred embodiments is a feeding-application mechanism consisting simply of two rollers, a holding roller and a pressing roller, having surfaces generally tangential to, on opposite sides thereof,

` a common line extending also in a locus passing near both the axis of rotation of a tape roll and the successive points of separation of tape from such a roll in use.

These features make possible great advantages over such prior art references as Perry 2,868,402 and Gill 2,763,393.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of certain preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away and 3,098,782 Patented July 23, 1963 ICC partially in section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, partially in section, taken at 2-2 of FIG. l, showing in dotted lines the storage unit cover moved to a partially opened position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing in dotted lines the cutter -blade rocked to operational position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken at 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view, corresponding in nature to the view of FIG. 3, of a rst modification of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view at l6 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken at 7--7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partially broken away and partially in section, of a second modification of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 comprises a storage unit indicated generally at 10', a handle 12, and an application abutment or pressing means, the nylon roller 14.

The storage unit -10` includes a generally dish-shaped member 16 with a cover 18 hingedly mounted thereon to permit opening to load into said unit a roll of tape T on the nylon hub 20' removably and rotatably resting around pin 22 secured in the back wall of member 16.

Secured to unit 10 is a generally tubular hollow bearing member `24 through which tape t passes to the roller 1,4. Ball lbearings 25, secured 'between the member 24 and the handle member 26 (which is rigidly attached to the handle 12) provide free rotatable movement of the handle `12 about the bearing member 24.

Securely mounted in the lower extremity of the bearing member 24 is roller housing 30, in the opposite side walls (which have planar outer surfaces to facilitate use with a straight-edge) of which are mounted the ends of two shafts 32 and 34, on which are rotatably mounted rollers 14 and v36, respectively. The forward surface of roller 14 is tangential to a line generally parallel to the axis of the bearing member 24 and extending substantially through the points of separation of tape t from the tape roll T, and also generally centrally through the roll T itself. The rear surface of roller 36, which is a holding roller` in :contact with the sticky side of pressuresensitive tape, is tangential to the same line, at a position of tangency slightly above that of the roller 14. Knife 38 is mounted just behind roller 14 on housing 30, and may be actuated to cut tape just deposited near the point of application by rocking the tape dispenser as indicated at FIG. 3, in the dotted lines. The holding roller 36 by contact with sticky surface prevents snap-back of the tape thereby on cutting.

The bottom extremity of the roller 14, which coincides with the point of contact of the tape and the surface to which it is applied, is slightly offset yfrom the axis of bearing member 24, preferably Mt, to provide a following (castering, with a roller as abutment) effect.

Threading through the tubular bearing member may suitably be by adhering the tape end to a flat narrow metal strip (or even straightened paper clip), by means of which it may be pulled through the bearing member.

A modified embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. In this embodiment simple Teflon bearings, indicated at 125, are used instead of rolling bearings. Another respect in which this embodiment is different is that the surface of the pressing roller i114 is crowned, or generally b-arrel-shaped, slightly; a suitable curvature for a roller 1A; inch wide is on a l-inch center. Crowning not only helps guide the tape t and hold it centrally disposed on the roller 114, but additionally facilitates applying the tape around curves.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 7 also is characterized by a spring-loaded cut-oilC knife 13S. The roller housing 130l is provided at each side in this embodiment with an elongated slot 150 in which the ends of the sha-ft 132 may move; said shaft extends through mating holes in bracket l152, which is pivotecl on shaft 134 and downment or pressing means may be provided, to facilitate,

drawing straight lines and use with a straight edge.

A further modification is gshown in FIG. In this embodiment the axis of handle rotatability again passes substantially through the center of the tape roll T and near the point of tape application, and the lowest extremity of the roller 214 is oiset therefrom; but here the storage unit 210 is lbetween the bearing member 224` and the pressure means 214 rather than the reverse, as in the embodiments previously described; and the handle 2-12 extends generally in a side-wise direction from the storage unit 210. Ball bear-ings 2.60 and 262 are used in this embodiment, although other bearings may be substituted in this embodiment; and of course Teflon or other sleeve bearings may be substituted for rolling bearings disclosed in embodiments previously described. The shafts 232 and 234 have their ends mounted in a housing 230 formed integrally with storage unit housing 216. This construction facilitates loading and unloading and brings the point at which the hand applies pressure to the dispenser to a point near the pressure means 232 to facilitate control.

Other embodiments of my invention Will readily occurl to those skilled in the art, and are covered by my claims, which follow.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for pressure sensitive adhesive tape comprising a storage unit for storing a roll of pressure sensitive adhesive tape,

said storage unit having means for supporting said roll Within said storage unit for rotation about a iirst axis,

a tubular member beneath said storage unit having a channel extending generally radially a-way from said storage unit in a direction perpendicular to said rst axis,

said tubular member having'bearing means on its outside surface,

a tubular handle disposed over said tubular member and supported on said bearing means for free rotation relative to said tubular member about an axis perpendicular to said rst axis, a roller housing secured at the end of said tubular member remote from said storage unit,

tape applying roller means mounted for rotation in said roller housing and oiset from the axis of said tubular member `so that the surface of said tape applying roller contacts the non-sticky side of tape drawn through said tubular member,

and a holding roller mounted for rotation above and adjacent said tape applying roller in position so that the surface of said holding roller contacts the sticky side of pressure sensitive adhesive tape drawn through said tubular member,

said tape storage unit, said tubular member, said roller housing and said rollers being mounted for free rotation as a unit relative to said handle member.

2. A dispenser for pressure sensitive adhesive tape comprising a storage unit for storing a roll of pressure sensitive tape, said storage unit having means for supporting said roll Within said storage unit for rotation, a longitudinal member secured to said storage unit having a.

longitudinal passage extending generally away `from said storage unit, said longitudinal member carrying bearing means therearound, a handle disposed around said longitudinal member and supported on said bearing means for free rotation relative to said longitudinal member about an axis, a roller housing secured at the end of said longitudinal member, and tape applying roller means mounted for rotation in said roller housing and offset from the said axis so that the surface of said tape applying roller contacts the non-sticky side of tape drawn through said longitudinal mem-ber, said tape storage unit, said longitudinal member, said roller housing and said tape applying r-oller being mounted for free rotation as a unit relative to said handle member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,140 Coe Feb. 15, 1898 1,065,043 Hall June 17, 1913 A 1,150,121 J-aquith Aug. 17, 1915 1,901,908 Hoyos Mar. 2l, 1933 2,123,415 Gorbatenko July 12, 1938 2,634,877 Kaplan Apr. 14, 1953 2,732,964 Neer Ian. 31, 1956 2,735,178 Adams Feb. 21, 1956 2,763,393 Gill et al Sept. 18, 1956 2,868,402 Perry Jan. 13, 1959 `2,904,206 Bertschinger Sept. 15, 1959 2,982,022 Pavelek May 2, 1961 

2. A DISPENSER FOR PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPE COMPRISING A STORAGE UNIT FOR STORING A ROLL OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE, SAID STORAGE UNIT HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ROLL WITHIN SAID STORAGE UNIT FOR ROTATION, A LONGITUDINAL MEMBER SECURED TO SAID STORED UNIT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE EXTENDING GENERALLY AWAY FROM SAID STORAGE UNIT, SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER CARRYING BEARING MEANS THEREAROUND, A HANDLE DISPOSED AROUND SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER AND SUPPORTED ON SAID BEARING MEANS FOR FREE ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER ABOUT AN AXIS, A ROLLER HOUSING SECURED AT THE END OF SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER, AND TAPE APPLYING ROLLER MEANS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID ROLLER HOUSING AND OFFSET FROM THE SAID AXIS SO THAT THE SURFACE OF SAID TAPE APPLYING ROLLER CONTACTS THE NON-STICKY SIDE OF TAPE DRAWN THROUGH SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER, SAID TAPE STORAGE UNIT, SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER, SAID ROLLER HOUSING AND SAID TAPE APPLYING ROLLER BEING MOUNTED FOR FREE ROTATION AS A UNIT RELATIVE TO SAID HANDLE MEMBER. 